FREO’S FLY BY NIGHT WANTS VICTORIA HALL
The City of Fremantle’s Strategic and General Services Committee will be debating tomorrow evening if Victoria Hall should be leased to the Fly by Night musicians group. The organisation has applied to lease the heritage building after having been evicted from their long-time Artillery Hall home by the National Trust, who leased out the building to Sunset Events.
The decisions will be an interesting one as only a bit over a year ago COF rejected an expression of interest from Clancy’s to make Victoria Hall into a seven day a week cafe, bar and music venue. COF then cited it wanted to self manage the venue, but not much came out of that.
Leasing the hall now to Fly by Night would show again how inconsistent decision making at the City is and one would also have to question how many days/nights the venue would be open to the public under FBN management.
I am all for keeping the Fly in Freo, but maybe leasing out the hall on a need-by basis makes more sense and would make the financial burden on the musicians group a lot less. It would also keep the hall available to community groups and one-off events and might see it used more frequently that way.
Roel Loopers
FREOVIEW - Fremantle's only daily 
Well that’s new to me that people with facts aren’t welcome to comment I think anyone who wishes to comment does and as I know I have written things here that have really pissed Roel off he always posts it unedited.
I think anyone who can offer facts or another insight, clarification would be more than welcome.
Sometimes to get facts form the city can be quite hard i had questions on the parking permit policy to clarify points for a survey i completed online, When i called the young lady was very helpful, then she clarified a point when i questioned her answer with a colleague. The facts changed then someone else in the background added to the conversation the facts changed again, she politely said i would have to disregard what she had previously said finally i asked for the manger of the area, who was busy he promptly called me back that day,who while helpful said it was best for me to read the policy make up my own mind what it meant and fill in the survey, as there seemed to be a dispute what the policy actually meant or how it was going to be implemented, at one point he said while it was in the policy it doesn’t mean it would be used, I asked why make a policy that’s not intended to be used, back to read the policy?
So if i hadn’t been so precise on my questions and ask her to explain in detail i would have completely the wrong information or facts?
Its not a complain just a situation i experienced so even though a policy was out for comment the facts didn’t seem that clear?
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Tom while I welcome your contribution I take issue that “facts seem to be only an occasional and unwelcome visitor to this website”
You and everyone at the City of Fremantle can comment here as often as you like, as some Elected Members including the Mayor do.
I did not start this website to do daily City of Fremantle bashing but to provide a community forum, support and promote events and businesses and I do my very best to base my articles on facts. I spend at least two hours a day keeping this very popular blog going that is read around the world and by the media, so COF gets FREE promotion from this blog.
I come to as many Full Council, Council Committees, Information sessions, Community Consultations, etc. as I can manage to hear the facts first hand.
I talked with Clancy’s manager Justin Rogan quite a while ago about Victoria Hall and he expressed at the time that they had approached the City for a permanent lease of Victoria Hall. That might have been before you Tom came to COF. I don’t know.
I find it insulting and defamatory that you suggest I am not interested in publishing facts on this blog!
Roel Loopers
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Hi all,
I thought it may be worthwhile adding some facts to this discussion although facts seem to be only an occasional and unwelcome visitor to this website and its regularly contributors. A couple of points:
Re: “only a bit over a year ago COF rejected an expression of interest from Clancy’s to make Victoria Hall into a seven day a week cafe, bar and music venue”
This is incorrect. We worked successfully with Clancy’s and came to an arrangement where they’d operate from Vic Hall while their usual home was renovated (6-8 weeks). Unfortunately the Department of RGL were too slow in acting upon Clancy’s request to temporarily transfer their license to Vic Hall, so the project couldn’t proceed. This was a real shame and we were all very disappointed that the project couldn’t proceed.
Re: “COF then cited it wanted to self manage the venue, but not much came out of that”
The City has been managing the Hall before and since the Clancy’s proposal. It has taken hundreds of bookings over the past year from a whole range of groups. Fringe World recently used the venue for some performances and many Fremantle Festivals have used the venue.
In terms of the consultant’s report from 2012 – the sentiment of most of the recommendations was captured in the ‘Guidelines for bookable venues” document that Council adopted on 27 August 2014 as part of the Events Sponsorship Policy (SGS1408-9). That item can be found here:
http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/cityoffremantle/Agendas_and_minutes/Ordinary_Council_meeting/2014/27_August_2014?minutes
Not all aspects of the report’s recommendations were practical, including the suggested $4.8m to upgrade Vic and Town Hall. There was no request or need to deliver this report to Council as it endorsed business as usual with some suggested improvements that I felt would yield a questionable ROI for ratepayers (i.e. the $4.8m capital works).
Finally, it is important to note that my report for SGS tonight presents three options for consideration and considers the merits of each. It should be acknowledged that the City has responded quickly to the need of a local community group in need and Councillors will consider if this is something that they can help the Fly with.
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I don’t believe it has started yet actually.
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Work has started on the Fort Knox Heirloom by Match project in which Sirona is a partner.
Roel
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It was never going to happen. Sirona still haven’t built anything in Fremantle and never will.
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Oh great, the indefinite non-development of Kings Square. What a boost for the retail economy that will be.
Roel
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Hi Roel
My recollection was that the decision on the Clancy’s interest in Victoria Hall which was a long term interest was deferred pending the outcome of the Study that I commissioned into the future foci and management arrangements for the Fremantle Town Hall and Victoria Hall.
The study was undertaken by Andy Farrant and was not completed and presented to Council until after I left.
I can’t shed any light on what came of the recommendations in the study and what that meant for Clancy’s proposal post the presentation of the study recommendations. Both appear to remain white elephants.
By the way, I understand that Council is considering giving Sirona Capital an extension to the agreement, soon coming to an end, in relation to the Kings Square Project.
Now that local government reform has died in a ditch the whole rational for changing the strategy to that which has now clearly failed is fully exposed.
What a debacle.
Kind regards
Andrew Eastick
0448 801 448
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My recollection is that previous to that-after the collapse of Deckchair-Clancy’s proposed to run it as a music venue, bar/cafe but were told the COF wanted to manage it. This was under the previous Economic and Marketing Manager Andrew Eastick, who reads this blog, so maybe he can clarify that.
Roel
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Hi roel,
Just to clarify your blog: clancy’s wanted to temporarily relocate to Vic hall during their renovation shut down.
The council agreed & supported the initiative. It was liquor licensing that knocked it back which was a real shame for everyone.
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Yes I read that, but with the requirement to only have the bar open three nights a week I don’t believe it is good value for the community to start rivitalising that part of town.
Every festival organisor wants financial adjustment in the thousands of dollars from Council and so do some organisation, but when we ask for support for small businesses and a basic sign to promote a market COF don’t want to come to the party.
Roel
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Fly By Night want it at 50% reduction from market rate (30k/yr instead of 60k).
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Roel if they are making a plan for the lease to be more than what Clancy proposed you could say its OK if the City gives it to them for less than what Clancy’s wanted to pay you have to ask what the hell?
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